Building construction and block therefor.



R. w. LYLE. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND BLOCK THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, 19l2. RENEWED FEB- 21.1918- Patented May 7,1918.-

- UNITED sTATEs PATENT ornron.

ROBERT W. LYLE, OF SOUTH RIVER, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM JAMES LYLE,

OF SOUTH RIVER, NEW JERSEY.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND BLOCK THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1918.

Application filed October 4, 1912, Serial No. 723,870. Renewed February 21, 1918. Serial No. 218,590.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. LYLE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of South River, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Constructions and Blocks Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to building con,- structions and blocks therefor, and it has for its object to provide an improved building construction and a block therefor which will afford maximum strength in the wall structure under all conditions of use and in which the block will be adapted for convenient and inexpensive manufacture and will possess the advantages of simplicity in construction as Well as strength in resistance to strains.

A further object of my present invention and improvements is to provide an improved building block Which will be especially adapted for affording an effective closure at the mortar beds against the possibility of the passage of moisture through the wall joints by capillary or other action, and which will provide in a simple and economical manner interlocking means between the blocks when assembled in a wall structure.

The main subject matter of my present invention has particular relation to the type of two-step hollow building blocks such as shown in the patent to Denison, No. 942,621, dated December 7, 1909, in which the block is constituted by a main portion and a supplementary portion projecting therefrom at one side and forming a ste at the top and bottom surfaces of the blocks, said blocks being superposedin reversed position in wall construction.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building block embodying my improvements.

F 2 is an end view of one type of wall construction as built withthese improved blocks.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line ww, of the wall construction as shown in Fig.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the block, which is constructed integrally of clay or other suitable material and is of the usual hollow construction, formed by longitudinal bores which produce an outer shell and inner webs or walls. In the general construction of the improved block, as herein shown, it is constituted by a main portion from one side of which projects a supplementary portion of less vertical extent than the main portion and producing a longitudinal step at the top and bottom surfaces of the block, whereby the block is in its main external contour of step form. The relative dimensions of the step portions, as well as the general dimensions of the block itself, may be as desired.

It will be understood that hollow building blocks of the character to which my improvements relate are designed to be formed in continuouslengths in an ordinary clay die-press and then cut into the desired length of individual block and conveniently burned in the kiln. My improvements are therefore adapted to produce, under these conditions of manufacture, a block which can be more readily and economically formed in a die-press and Which will be extremely simple and of light character with reference to the quantity of clay used without sacrificing the maximum conditions of strength and resistance to strains as required in wall construction.

In the Denison type of two-step block, hereinbefore referred to, the block com prises a hollow rectangular head and a hollow tongue extending from the middle of the side of the head and of a thickness substantially half the thickness of the head, the side of the head adjacent to the tongue forming one continuous alined wall across the end of the tongue, and the tongue being provided with an internal web parallel to and adjacent to said side of the head. In such construction, the location of the web in the tongue is such that the web will take a position substantially in vertical alinement with the side wall of the head which extends across the end of the tongue, when such blocks are superposed in reversed position substantially in the manner as shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, and there is thus produced two vertical tiers of internal webs in the line of vertical strain and at each side the'steps which are formed by the overlapping shoulders provided by the heads and tongues. In this construction of block, the relative conditions of a rectangular head, andthe tongue extending from render necessary the extra internal webr' within the tongue, as otherwise no vertical tier of internal strain-resisting walls would extend in a continuous series when the blocks are superposed in reversed position in wall. construction. The type of construction as just indicated is, open to disadvantages, and limitations in adaptability to use, and the essential provision of the internal web within thetongue and adjacent to. the side of the head. which extends across the tongue produces arelatively thickened: con,- ditionat the middl ofthe blockv which renders it. difiic ult to effectively rnnthe ma.- terial in continuous lengths through an ordinary clay die-press and precludes facility and economy in manufacture.

The conditions. and, disadvantages as just above stated are obviated by my. improvenients, as hereinafter. described, which provide an improved block of the two-step type which cannot only be produced with facility and economy in manufacture but in which the conditions of non-uniform or excess thickness at any point will be obviated, and which will still afford a continuous vertical tier of internal strain-resisting walls. when the blocks are superposed in reversed posi tion, and will. otherwise meet all the required conditions of use.v My improvements. furthermore provide a block which has. av uniform condition of external shell walls, and, corresponding uniform conditions of internal webs or walls only at the lines of division between thelongitudinal boresof the maain portion or head and of the supplementary sidev portion or tongue, and there is also no essential limitation to thethickness of the side portion of tongue with relation to the main portion or head, nor to the locationv of said side portion with respect to the middle of the side of the head, as the, side portion in my improved. construction :can be of any suitable thickness affording thestep conditions at the top and bottomsurfaces of the block and can be .10- oatedvat a desired position with relation to the side of the head.

Incarrying out 'my'irnprovements, the integral'body ofthe block 1 comprises a main portion or head, 2, which formsone side. of the block,,and a narrower. supplementary portion or tongue, 3, pro3'ecting at the, inner side. of. said main portion and formingithe opposite side of the block, said narrowerportion 3 being of course less-in its vertical'extent than the vertical extentof the main portion 2, whereby the continuousshoulders forming; the longitudinal steps, v as at s and 5, respectively atthe horizontal. top and bottom surfaces, of the block, are produced. Preferably, the-main embody -poutiens:ef h I r sne tivestep .ppr:

tions 2 and?) approximately correspond in sidewise width, though they may be varied in relative sidewiseawidth under-some conditions of use, and the bores which form the hollow body of the block extend longitudinally in the respectivestep portions. The hollow construction is preferably produced by a series of two or more longitudinal bores, as at 6, extending centrally, in the main step portion 2, and similar or corresponding bores, as at 7 extending, centrally in the supplementary step portion 3,,said bores 6 and 7 being divided by horizontal longitudinal webs or partitions, as at 8, and the, bores ofthe respective portions 2- and 3 being divided by a vertical web or partition, as at.9, extending centrally of theblock between the respective step portions. The hollow construction is thus such that the internalbores form a body shell constituted by'external surrounding walls and internal webs or partitions, one of which latter, as at 9. extends vertically and centrally of the block between the hollow step portions 2 and 3.

In the improved block, as constructed according to my invention, a vertical tier of straimresisting body walls internally of the construction and extending throughout the superposed tiers or courses ofthe blocks when the latter arearranged in. reversed position in walls as for instance the wall construction shown in Figs. 2 andv 3, is produced by having the heads or step-extensions of the hollow main portion 2 of variable size at the respective top and bottom stepped surfaces of the block, the constructionbeing such that the head or step-extension, as shown at 10, of the main portion 2 atone horizontal surface of the block, is narrower in sidewise width than the head orstep-extension, as shown at 11, at the opposite end'of the main portion 2 and at the opposite horizontal surface of the block.

The preferred construction for carrying out the variable-head feature just stated has the innershell wall, 12, of the narrow stepextension 10 at a vertical plane intersecting the bore 6 of the hollow body portion of said main portion. 2, and the outer face of said wall 12 is approximately on the plane of the inner face of the vertical internal web or-wall .9 which divides the main hollow portion 2 from the supplementary hollow portion. or tongue 3. Thus, at the horizontal surface of the block which has the relatively narrow head or step-extension 10, the horizontalstep surface of the supplemcntary portion or tongue 3, which surface is. formed; the external shell wall: ofsaid portion .3, as indicated at, 14., is wider on the horizontal plane than thenarrow-head or, step-extension 10 and extends over the internal vertical.dividingiweb r wall-,9.= At,

he OPQQsit horizontal u face of the blocki:

the head or step-extension 11 has its inner wall, 15, formed by a continuation of the central dividing web or partition 9 and is on the vertical plane thereof, so that said step-extension 11 is wider on the horizontal plane than the narrow step-extension 10 at the other horizontal surface of the block and the step surface of the supplementary portion or tongue 3, which is formed by its external shell wall, as indicated at 16, extends only to the plane of said central dividing web or partition 9 and is thus narrower than its supplementary surface which is formed by the shell wall 14 at the opposite horizontal surface of the block.

Under the relative conditions of step coni struction as just described, the integral body of the block, comprising the hollow main portion 2 and the hollow supplementary portion or tongue 3, has at one horizontal surface two steps which are of a determined size or width on the horizontal plane of the block, and at the other horizontal surface two steps of variable size with relation to said first mentioned steps, one of said variable size steps being narrower in its sidewise width than its complementary step at the opposite horizontal surface of the block and the other of said variable size steps being wider in its sidewise width than its complementary step at the opposite horizontal surface of the block.

This improved construction produces, when the blocks aresuperposed in reversed position in wall construction, as shown in Fig. 2, a composite structure in which the internal central dividing web or partition 9 between the respective main and supplementary portions of the block will be in the same vertical plane with the internal central dividing web or partition 9 of the next superposed block, and thus provide in wall construction a continuous vertical tier of internal strain-resisting body walls extending centrally between the main and supplementary portions 2 and 3 of the blocks and throughout the superposed tiers or courses of the blocks, It will. be noted that the outer walls, 17 and 18, respectively, of the main hollow portion 2 and the supplcn' entary hollow portion or tongue 3 will also be in the same'vertical plane and produce corresponding continuous vertical tiers of strain-resisting body walls at the opposite vertical faces of the superposed tiers or courses of" the blocks. This construction effectively meets downward strain and produces a wall'structure which, while it is of hollow character, possesses great strength and resistance in the vertical plane and does not require a thickening of the central portion of the two-step block by the interposition of a supplementary web in'the hollow body of the side portion or tongue 3.

At the horizontal joints, in walls constructed with this type of building block, the horizontal mortar courses, as at 19, are laid between the respective stepped surfaces of the superposed blocks, and the passage of moisture at these horizontal joints is resisted by the direct break in the plane of the joint which is formed by the vertical faces of the step shoulders between the block portions and 3.

My present invention furthermore comprises improved means for more effectivel resisting the passage of moisture at the honzontal joints between the blocks, and for also providing an effective interlocking construction between hollow building blocks at intervening joints. In carrying out this feature of my inmrovements, the external shell walls of the hollow block, which are designed to abut at intervening joints between the blocks, are bowed to produce projections, as at 20, and recesses, as at 21, extending longitudinally of said walls. at the abutting surfaces of the blocks, whereby an interlocking tongue and groove construction is provided at the joints between abutting blocks. The bowed portion of the external shell walls of the hollowblock provides a simple and effective means for forming an interlocking construction between such blocks without increasing the thickness of the external wall and without varying' its uniform conditions, and this improved interlocking construction therefore does not impair the conditions of rapidand economical manufacture of the blocks in continuous lengths in an ordinary clay die-press. The bowed portion of the external walls may be in its cross sectional contour in the form of a curve or direct angle or other shape whereby the wall is deflected from its straight plane. Y

The preferred construction, in the application of this bowed-wall feature of my'invention to the two-step block as herein shown, comprises an outwardly-bowed portion 20-at one of the'horizontal surfaces of each of the hollow step portions 2 and 3, thus forming projections or tongues at that surface of the block, and an inwardly-bowed portion 2l at the opposite surfaces of said portions 2 and 3, which form grooves or recesses at that surface of the block,but it will be understood that such tongue and groove construction may be provided upon only one of the step portions 2 or 3 and that, within the scope of'this feature of my improvements, such bowed construction of the external walls of the hollow block may be provided to form tongue-projections or art to. which they. appertain. The improved ariable head or. step-extension construction as hereinbefore described, in the two-step type of, blockherein shown, produccsa continuous verticah central tier of strain-resisting body walls extending" throughout the superposed courses of the, reversed blocks in wall construction Without the employment of any supplementary or additional internal webs or-walls other than the single dividing web or partition between the two hollow step portions 2 and 3, and the improved block is therefore extremely simple inconstruction and has a uniform thipkness of external shell walls and internal dividing webs or partitions between the bores without excess thickness at any portion of the -i'ntegral body, whereby the block in its entirety. is adapted forrapidvand economical manufacture. The, feature providing interlooking conditions at abutting surfaces of the blocks: by bowing or deflecting the exten nal shelLwalls-also avoids any excess thickness at such interlockingpoint and maintains the uniform conditions of the wall structure extendingthroughout the hollow body,- and this bowed or deflected'w-all, producing tongueprojections or grooverrecesses, isf-adapted to a wide range of efiective employment as interlocking means and adirect break in-the joints between thebloc-ks It will be understoodithat, under=some cir cumstancesofconstruction :within the scope of my present, improvements, the improved variable-headblock embodying the features herein described may be constructed-with a plurality of steps in; excessof the two-step type herein shown;v for instance, with three steps according to. the construction shown in my, co-pendin-gapplication Serial No. 723,869.

I, do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the=detail construction and arrangementofparts. asherein shown and described, as itl is manifest that variations and modificationstherein maybe resorted to, in; the adaptation of my invention to varying conditions: of A use, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements. Itherefore reserve the right to, all such variations and modifications as properly fall within'the scope of my invention and=terms-of the following claims, I

Having;- thusdescribed myinvention, I claimand desire tocsecure by Letters Patout:

1., An improved building block, comprise ing integralbody having'successive steps at its horizontal top and bottom surfaces and: having horizontal .7 longitudinal bores Copies of this patent; maybeobtained. for

forming a hollow construction and producing a; vertical internal dividing webor wall between: the respective step portions, said body having a step head or step eX'tension at? one of its horizontal surfacesof less widththan the complementary step-head: or step-extension at the opposite horizontal surface, whereby when said blocks are'supen posed in reversed position in wall construction a continuous vertical tier of strain resisting: body walls will be formed throughout the superposed tiers or courses of the blocks.

2; An improved building; blockcomprising an integral body having-successive:steps at. its horizontal top and bottom surfaces and having horizontal longitudinal bores forming," a hollow construction and producing a verticalinternal dividing Web or wall betweenthe' respective step portions, said body: having a step head orstep-extension at. oneof its horizontal surfaces of less width than:the complementary step head or step-extension at theopposite horizontal surface, the relative construction and arrangement being such" that the vertical'step wall of saidrelativelynarrow step headxor. stepeXtension is within'the vertical planeof the inner face of: the vertical internalweb or wall which divides the respective step-portions, whereby the internal webs: or walls which divide the respective step portions will be in alinements and oonjointly form a continuous vertical tier. of strain-resisting body walls when said variable-head blocks are superposed in reversed position in wall construction.

8. In building construction, a wall structure: comprising. building blocks havingan integral hollow body with internal vertical webs or walls and provided with successive steps at their horizontal top vand bottom surfaces, saidblocks being superposedinra versed position in horizontal courses, the step heads or step-extensionat the respective top and bottom surfaces of the step portionsv of said blocks being of variable width, whereby said reversed and superposedblocks have'relatively uniform abutting step surfaces at the horizontal joints of nessesn ROBERT W. LYLE. Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. KELLY, J osnrH REED LLTTELL,

five cents each,v hy addr-essing the ;commissioner of latenta Wsshingtoxn D. (3." 

